Future of young people at stake

SIR, – To counter the one-sided view presented by some environmental agencies this week, here is the local view.

Todd Warnock has already demonstrated his commitment to Dornoch by saving our courthouse when it was abandoned by Scottish Court Services. He lives here and works with the community. There is no comparison with Trump other than they are American!

If your readers care to study the substantial documentation submitted with the planning application for Coul Links they will see that the environment will be better off if the development goes ahead. A managed and funded scheme would be in place to protect the SSSI which there has not been to date. Where have the agencies been while birds have been shot for sport and invasive species have taken over the site?

The main endangered species in the Highlands is our young people who for generations have had to move south in search of jobs. This project has the potential to reverse rural depopulation and transform the economic landscape to provide meaningful and well paid jobs for our children and grandchildren. The local community trust is so committed to this vision that it will invest in Coul Links and have a seat on the board if it is given the go-ahead.

If the environmental agencies’ misinformed attacks on Coul Links result in the loss of the largest single investment in Sutherland ever, I hope they will come and explain to our young people why they wrecked their future.

Joan Bishop, Whinhill, Dornoch SIR, – I’m extremely disappointed to see that the picturesque harbour town of Stonehaven has been omitted from the North East 250 route.

Not only is this coastal town stunning, but it is also home to the very famous Dunnottar Castle, the beautiful harbour, a very popular beach area, a pleasant market square, and an abundance of leisure facilities including the northernmost lido in the UK – the Olympic-sized heated open air swimming pool, which is open throughout the summer season.

Next year Stonehaven will be one of the towns losing its tourist information centre too, and it will remain to damaging offshore wind farms for seabirds in the world” and the Firth of Forth as “of international importance to wildlife”.

This blatant disregard for our birdlife certainly ‘blows’ the environmental credibility of WWF and the Scottish Government out of the water!

George Herraghty, Lothlorien,

Lhanbryde be seen what impact this has on visitor numbers to the Stonehaven area.

North East 250 say they “expect visitors to explore even more of the area than the places they have listed”, but Stonehaven seems a very regrettable omission from the destinations they have chosen to highlight in the North East 250 route.

I do hope this can be rectified, both for the tourists who will miss out on this gem of a town, and for the local businesses in Stonehaven who would welcome the visitors with open arms.

Judi Martin, Alma, Maryculter at the centre for rural health may wish to reassess their definition of rural.

Linda Andrews, Altour Road, Spean Bridge, Inverness-shire